This upcoming offseason for the Diamondbacks will likely be all about starting pitching, and the Diamondbacks made their first move to address that area by firing pitching coach Mike Harkey on Monday. Harkey, who began his coaching career as the bullpen coach for the New York Yankees, had been in the position the past two seasons.

“When one part of your team struggles a little bit, a lot of times you have to make changes,” manager Chip Hale said. “We felt like a new voice in that spot was needed. It’s difficult.”

A Diamondbacks rotation filled with young, unproven pitchers had a 4.37 ERA in 2015, ranking 23rd in the majors and 11th in the National League. Starters routinely struggled to go deep in games, and only the Colorado Rockies' rotation pitched fewer innings.

That was an improvement on last season, when a host of injuries and bad performance saddled the Diamondbacks starters with a 4.44 ERA, fourth-worst in the majors.

“You look at the difficulties of the 2014 season with the injuries, a lot of the time it wasn’t a fair competition,” said Tony La Russa, the team’s Chief Baseball Officer. “Well, Mike was the pitching coach there. I thought he did a good job. He worked at it. This year, the competition was more fair.”

La Russa declined to go into specifics when asked what he’s looking for when it comes to Harkey’s replacement. One report Monday morning suggested the job would be handed to bullpen coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., but La Russa said that Stottlemyre is only a candidate at this point.

La Russa, Hale, General Manager Dave Stewart and organizational pitching guru Dave Duncan will all have input in the upcoming hiring process. Duncan, who served in that capacity on La Russa’s staffs with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, is not interested in returning to uniform.

La Russa almost thought he was, though it may have been a case of wishful thinking.

“I said something like, ‘You could come back,’ ” La Russa remembered. “I thought he said yes, but that wasn’t what he was saying yes to. I had my heart stop for a minute, that’s the truth.”

The San Diego Padres fired interim skipper Pat Murphy on Monday, and two Arizona coaches could be candidates to take over in San Diego. One report on Saturday said Triple-A Reno manager Phil Nevin was a top candidate, and Stewart said Monday that the Padres requested permission to talk to third base coach Andy Green.

San Diego has yet to ask about Nevin, Stewart said.

“We have not heard from the Padres yet (on Nevin), but we’re hearing the same thing you are,” he said.

Nevin spent seven seasons with the Padres as a player from 1999-2005. He’s managed in the minors leagues since 2009 – the first year coming in independent ball – and for the past two years has helmed the Reno Aces.

Before joining the big-league coaching staff last offseason, Green spent three years managing in the Arizona system, spending 2013 and 2014 with Double-A Mobile. La Russa said the depth of experience helps Nevin.

“I think Andy is a very talented guy,” La Russa said. “But Phil has managed Triple-A. He has experience. He’s managed several years. No doubt Andy could manage Triple-A, but as far as just the work that’s on the resume, I think you give Phil the edge.”

Both Nevin and Green interviewed for the Diamondbacks’ managerial opening last offseason, and Nevin also interviewed for the opening in Houston that went to former Diamondbacks skipper A.J. Hinch.

Hale said Peter O’Brien will enter spring training as a catcher next February, bringing his 2015 season full circle. O’Brien started as a catcher last fall in the Arizona Fall League, but had throwing issues surface in spring.

He moved to the outfield for a mental break and performed well at the plate, leading him to feel that he should stick at that position. But when playing time was hard to find in a crowded Arizona outfield upon his call-up to the majors this September, catching seemed more attractive.

The Diamondbacks like his positional flexibility, and have talked about wanting someone on the roster who can also play first base off the bench to rest star Paul Goldschmidt.

“That bat’s pretty intriguing,” Hale said. “He could be a guy who could play some outfield, play some first and catch. We’re excited for him.”

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